Integrated climate-change assessment scenarios and carbon dioxide removal
Autor
Schweizer, Vanessa J.
Ebi, Kristie L.
Vuuren, Detlef P. van
Jacoby, Henry D.
Riahi, Keywan
Strefler, Jessica
Takahashi, Kiyoshi
Ruijven, Bas J. van
Weyant, John P.
Institución
Resumen
To halt climate change this century, we must reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from human activities to
net zero. Any emission sources, such as in the energy or land-use sectors, must be balanced by natural or
technological carbon sinks that facilitate CO2 removal (CDR) from the atmosphere. Projections of demand
for large-scale CDR are based on an integrated scenario framework for emission scenarios composed of
emission profiles as well as alternative socio-economic development trends and social values consistent
with them. The framework, however, was developed years before systematic reviews of CDR entered the
literature. This primer provides an overview of the purposes of scenarios in climate-change research and
how they are used. It also introduces the integrated scenario framework and why it came about. CDR studies
using the scenario framework, as well as its limitations, are discussed. Possible future developments for the
scenario framework are highlighted, especially in relation to CDR.